As UK universities prepare for the Home Office’s tightening of compliance measures, experts have said not to ignore demand-side factors, with new data revealing falling search interest in the UK among South Asian students on Keystone platforms.
“Whereas South Asian interest in the UK is down 13% in April so far, data reveals that prospective students from countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are becoming much more likely to explore study abroad in East and Southeast Asia,” said Keystone VP of research and insight, Mark Bennett, at Keystone’s Future of Higher Education event last week.
While the data showed the UK remains the second-most searched destination overall – holding 10% of South Asian search interest – Bennett warned this figure was “large, but falling”.
Notably, interest from India – the UK’s largest sending market – was down by nearly 30% this April compared to last year.
Meanwhile, the appeal of Singapore among South Asian audiences is climbing dramatically, up 75% year-over-year, with Malaysia and Thailand also seeing notable increases.
The data rings true with a recent BUILA survey revealing a 30% drop in international enrolments at UK universities this year, with the sharpest declines across South Asian markets as institutions tighten recruitment ahead of incoming Home Office compliance measures.
Notably, 82% of universities reported a drop from Pakistan, while 76% indicated declines from India and 65% from Bangladesh, according to the survey, suggesting incoming regulations are already having an impact on student interest.
Students from countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are becoming much more likely to explore study abroad in East and Southeast Asia
Mark Bennett, Keystone
“The government can introduce as many changes as it likes, but the market is also fast to respond to new conditions, then [universities] must respond as well, so the pace of change is one of the key challenges,” director of student recruitment at London Metropolitan University Keyan Zhu told attendees.
But Bennett warned universities must also take heed of demand-side factors, warning that “prospective students are pivoting regardless of [the incoming restrictions] as the academic and cultural appeal of East and Southeast Asia grows”.
“We’re seeing this ‘pull East’ for students… So, no longer are they looking West for cultural influences but they are much more likely to be listening to K pop or going to a BTS concert,” said Jennifer Parsons, chief market and partnerships officer at UniQuest.
“So, it’s not just about whether it’s good for education or about cost effectiveness… It’s about that pull of cultural influence which really becomes important when we think about the markets facing challenges.”
“The UK may do well in the ‘big four’, but the global competition is widening,” Parsons continued, reporting that Indian students were increasingly searching for educational opportunities outside of the UK, US, Canada and Australia.
On top of cultural factors, speakers said cost had become a much sharper consideration for international students, urging institutions to be transparent about the total cost of study and the return on investment in terms of career opportunities at their institution.
Elsewhere, Zhu said diversification of recruitment was “crucial” for institutions like his that had been “heavily reliant on South Asia and Africa”, and that universities should embed compliance measures throughout the system.
